LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11594, 12 January 1916, Page 4

LOCAL AND GENERAL.

Shortly before 3 a.m. to-day the Lyt» telton Fire Brigade was called out to attend to a, fire in ?, grass patch closes to the Seamen's Institute, Norwich Quay. The blaze was subdued before -iiiy damage was done to the fences or buildings in the vicinity. Returned soldiers, in uniform, are invited by Wirth Bros to attend the circus to-morrow night. They " will fall in at the G.D.C. rooms at 7.30. An invitation for Thursday night's performance at the Theatre Royal is also issued to returned men.

Up to the present very few sheep and* lambs are coming forward' to the Fairfield Freezing Works, the numbers being far behind those passing through the works in the opening days of the killing season last year. The recent rains have induced farmers to hold over their consignments with a view to topping them off.

A number of men have arrived ia Ashfcnrton during the** past few days in quest of work in the harvest fields. It >s expected that plenty of labour will be available this season, more especially as a number of men were unable to find employment at cocksfoot cutting on the Peninsula, owing to the poor state of the crops. The complaint that cattle were not being properly fed at the abattoirs was again before a meeting of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, held last night. • It was alleged that the poor beasts were kept for a week without food, and that often the animals travelled for days before they reached the abattoirs. " No wonder then that people are dying wholesale with cancer," interjected, a lady member, with horror. At a meeting of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, held last night, the matter of raising money for the Blue Cress Fund came under consideration. When an objection was raised that the city shopkeepers should not be canvassed for funds at present, as they had many calls upon them, Mr Parker said " the business people havft had a good. Christmas this year and now is the psychological moment to obtain money.'' It was finally decided to institute a shilling fund. Much interest is being aroused by the crowning of the queen ceremony to be held at Little .River to-morrow afternoon. Miss Jessie Bruce (Akaroa County and Borough) and Miss Myrtle Birdling (Wairewa and Mount Herbert Counties), will be the contestants _ for regal honours. The day's proceedings will also include & gala, at which novel sports will be held and Maori poj dances and hakas given. A special train will leave Christchurch for lirttl-9 River at 9.30 a.m.

A lady member of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, held last night, said that a person had suggested to her that the society's inspector should be supplied with a pea rifle to fihoot the numerous tribes of halfstarved cats that live under certain, dwelling-houses. It was laughingly suggested that the inspector might occasionally obtain a good day's sport cat shooting. His exertions in that direction would certainly be appreciated by anyone who has had his rest disturbed by cats fighting with and tearing each "other in the small hours of tho morning. , '' I have been assured by a medical officer that serious harm is being caused by the cigarette smoking so prevalent among soldiers, and particularly returned soldiers." said the Defence Minister at Wellington yester r day. "The statement made'to me is that many of the men are absolutely ruining their nerves through this habit. Their hands became shaky and the men themselves become apathetic. SurgeonGeneral Henderson, in a report on this subject, says that the Defence Department cannot control cigarette smoking except when men are in hospital. I hope that members of tho force will realise ihat it is quite possible for them to injure their health and impair their efficiency as soldiers by the excessive use of cigarettes. A soldier has a duty to perform in attaining physical, fitness, in order that he may be in condition to'nieet and beat the enemy, and anything that injures his health is to be avoided."

At the meeting of the Society for th P Prevention of Cruelty to Animals last night Mr G. Spiller said that on the first day of the last Metropolitan Trotting Club's meeting a' new device for urging the horses to increase their speed "had heen used. This consisted of a wire, one end of which was attached to the animal's ear l>y means of a. clip, whilst the driver held the other end. A slight pull of this wire caused the horse much agony, and thu? urged it to greater effort. Mr Spiller said that a prominent racing man had described the device as a "brutal instrument of torture." A letter was read from a prominent veterinary surgeon, stating that in Ms opinion the device did not inflict pain. Ho contended that" the! horses enjoyed the racing and that a slight twist of the ear was b'arelv felt by them. The society's inspector said he bad attended Plumpton Park on ono day of the last rap ir.eeting, in order to investigate the matter. ' The instrument,, was used in three races on that day. Some of the drivers favoured the use of it, others did not. la his opinion it was an instrument of torture. It was decided to instruct the inspector to visit the liexi trotting meeting and report if the device were used.

A' cablegram published yesterday stated that the New South Wales scheme for the manufacture of munitions in the State railway workshops would probably be abandoned owing to the refusal of the men to work the necessary overtime for less than time and a half. Mr J. Harper, Chief Commissioner of New South Wales railways, who is at present in Wellington, gave a reporter some information as to the proposal, states the Wellington correspondent' of the " Lytteltom Times." Tho workshops, ho said, had thirty lathes available for the work and should be able to turn out from 1000 u> 1500 shells a week, but they were faciei with a labour difficulty. At present they were shorty of about 400 skilled men for the ordinary work of the shops. Skilled mechanicians were net now allowed to enlist and some had had to- bo brought back from camp, yet sufficient men could not be ob- j tailed. Tf men had been available a. f.econd shift would have been put on for the manufacture of munition,?, but | lis it was nil hands wore required for tho usual railway work which nact to be done. The only way in which shells could be produced" was by the working of overtime. Instead of eight hours a dav the men would work ten or twelve. Handy men might have done some of the work on the lathes, but this the unions would not allow. Apart, from the demand for time and a half for overtime, the management had 'to consider the effect _on the workers of continuous overtime employment. Their efficiency was bound to be lessened. In the New South Wales climate a man could not work well 'for ten hours or twelve hours a day, and that continuously, in engineering shops. Mr Harper did not: know what his colleague who had charge of the shops could do in regard; to the demand for extra pay, but it; was certain that lengthened hours' would mean decreased efficiency on the part of the men, and munitions coulc not be manufactured in ordinary working days.

New things for the New Year. Ne more knife cleaning in 1916. Messrs licstie, Bull and dickering have just landed the wonderful Stainless Tabk Cutlery, and invite inspection. Knives, always bright after washing. Price;r quite- moderate. 19S8- >